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Thursday, August 21, 2014

If Thor's Hammer was Forged From a Dying Star, How Much Would it Weigh?

According to mythology, the Norse god Thor wielded a hammer named Mjölnir. Thor’s place in pop culture has been expanded upon by Marvel, who publishes comics about Thor and so graciously gave us movies on the topic starring Chris Hemsworth.

Thor’s hammer is alleged to have been forged within the core of a dying star, though according to some versions of the comic, Mjölnir is composed of Uru, a metal that only comes from Asgard. The hammer is also said to weigh 42.3 pounds in the Uru versions. However, the dying star origin has been used in other volumes of the comic and is also what was used in the movie.

The hammer also comes along with an enchantment that states that only the worthy may posses the power of Thor and pick up the hammer. Is it really Odin’s enchantment that prevents others from using Thor’s hammer, or is it the material Mjölnir is composed of just too darn heavy to lift without god-like strength?

Check out this Vsauce video that explores the science behind the weight of Mjölnir and why accidentally dropping it would cause global destruction: